Samajwadi Party leader expelled for protests against Rahul Gandhi

Samajwadi Party general secretary Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday expelled a party leader for indulging in vandalism and showing black flags to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Aligarh.

"On day one I had made it loud and clear to my party functionaries to desist from any attempt to disrupt the poll campaign of any political rival. As such as soon as I learnt that some of my party men had indulged in vandalism and showed black flags to Rahul Gandhi in Aligarh today (Tuesday), I took disciplinary action against the local district general secretary," Akhilesh, the son of party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, told IANS.

"I have expelled Dinesh Yadav, our district general secretary in Aligarh, for his failure to abide by the basic norms set by the party," he added.

The move is seen as a subtle retort to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's oft-repeated proclamation that hers was the only party in which action was taken even against the high and the mighty within the party if they were found indulging in unlawful acts.